The people's case against Davontae Sanford

“These murders were committed by more than one person so that the guilt of one individual does not necessarily require the exoneration of anyone else,” prosecutors wrote in a March 2009 brief.

Sanford told his stepfather, Jermaine Tillman, during a May 2008 jailhouse telephone call that three men, “Bug,” “T” and “Homie” were involved in the murders, which matched the story Sanford told police in the hours after the shootings. Prosecutors argued in a motion this indicates Sanford’s guilt.

Sanford's plea

Pictured is a portion of the transcript of Davontae Sanford's plea. (Source: Wayne County prosecutor's office)

“If defendant’s guilty plea was false, that is, if it was simply used to garner favor from authority figures, what would possess him to keep up the lie with his stepfather?” prosecutors said.

At her press conference following Sanford’s release from prison, Worthy pointed to the phone call as evidence of his guilt.

But none of the teens Sanford mentioned were ever charged with the killings. Police interviewed them; they each provided solid alibis and were cleared as suspects.

“Defendant has not sustained his burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence that he is innocent,” prosecutors wrote in a 2012 brief. “Defendant has the burden of showing his innocence by clear and convincing evidence.”

Prosecutors also stressed how Valerie Glover, the only survivor of the Runyon shootings, testified she had a brief conversation with one of the gunmen, who sounded “like a kid” who “didn’t have no bass in his voice.”

Glover also testified the masked man demanded: “Where’s the (expletive) at? I’m going to kill you.” Prosecutors said that suggests robbery, not a contract hit, was the motive for the killings.

A pair of black pants were found at Davontae Sanford's house.Wayne County prosecutor's office

Both were tested for gunshot residue, which was found on the pants, on the right and left thighs.

Sanford’s attorneys argued it was never proven the pants belonged to Sanford, who shared his closet with three other teenage boys. Also, they pointed out Michigan State Police and the FBI don’t conduct gunshot residue tests because they’re unreliable. And, they said, Sanford had no gunshot residue on his other clothes, and no traces of blood on his skin or clothing -- “a highly improbable result given the bloodbath at the victim’s house,” defense attorneys said in a 2015 brief.

Wayne County prosecutor's office

The 762 x 39 mm casings found at the scene were the type commonly shot from an AK-47, although because some of the Wolf brand casings were made of steel, it’s impossible to tell if they all were shot from the same gun, retired State Police firearms examiner David Balash said. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives firearms expert Walter Dandridge concluded there likely were two AK-47s fired at the scene.

“The firearms evidence does not support the notion that only two people were involved,” prosecutors said.

“One need only compare that to the sketch drawn by Evidence Technician Lori Briggs to see the striking similarity between the two,” prosecutors wrote.

The sketch would later prove crucial to the case. During a 2015 Michigan State Police investigation into the Runyon case, former Detroit police official James Tolbert told detectives he had drawn the sketch. That contradicted Tolbert’s testimony in a July 13, 2010 appeals hearing that Sanford had drawn the diagram. State police asked for perjury charges against Tolbert.

Related: Details of Davontae Sanford's version of events

“I’m sorry for what happened. I didn’t -- I ain’t mean for it to happen,” he said. “It just happened. I’m sorry for -- to they family and everything.”

Prosecutors wrote: “One must question why defendant would be making an apology such as the one above, if he was not even involved in the murders.”